Short story in essay

The phrasing of the second example showcased above provides clues as to how we’re supposed to view this particular chapter in the eternal struggle between student and professor — we’re supposed to applaud the brilliance of the essay the “smiling” student used to put into his place the snooty professor who by addressing his charges “coldly” had implied the assigned task was at the limit of their capabilities. College lore is replete with wish fulfillment legends in which clever students one-up their instructors by taking advantage of semantic ambiguities in the instructions given to them. (Our “ Prime Choice “ page details another legend that invokes this theme.) In real life, an “essay” such as the smiling student had taken such pride in would likely earn him nothing other than a kick in the pants: Grades aren’t awarded for cleverness; they’re earned by performing the required task well.